I want to know more...but how?

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Specializes in ED.

I've been in the ER for 2 years this month, and I absolutely love it! I work in a Level 3 ER, where we don't see a lot of trauma, but get some SICK people (duh, I know...it's an ER :) I look back to when I started and I realize how much I've learned, but every day I go to work I realize how much I still need to know. I've begun to take charge (charge nurse), and on some days I find that I am one of the most experienced nurses on the floor (that scares me). I want to go "back to the basics" and build upon my understanding of pharmacology, pathophysiology, lab values, and things of that nature, but I get so overwhelmed when I go back to my textbooks.

So, do any of you have websites that you like to visit to brush up on your clinical knowledge? If so, I would love it if you would share them with me!! A great big thanks in advance to all of my fellow ER nurses...Merry Christmas to each of you!

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Specializes in ED/trauma.

Are you an ENA member? If not you should think about it. The website has some great web seminars, training manuals, and it has many resources to use to study for the CEN exam. I have found that this website has MANY valuable resources. They also have a wonderful yearly conference. Check it out...Thanks for starting this thread-there are others here like it if you do a search-but I always like to hear the new things people are doing.

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Specializes in ED.

Thanks so much for the reply! Yes, I joined ENA this year and went to the conference in Baltimore and really enjoyed it. I bought a CEN review CD for my computer at the conference, and wouldn't you know I dropped my laptop when I got home, and so now my DVD ROM door won't open. :yeah: I'll have to work on that! You are right, I need to research the ENA website some more. I have done a few searches on allnurses and found some websites, but I wanted to see if anyone else had suggestions. Thanks again!

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Specializes in Holistic and Aesthetic Medicine.

I don't work in ER but have been thinking of taking this course:

http://www.canyoncollege.edu/cc/nur596/syllabus/nur596.htm

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.
I don't work in ER but have been thinking of taking this course:

http://www.canyoncollege.edu/cc/nur596/syllabus/nur596.htm

Check out the instructors CV...

-he hasn't worked in the ER for over 20 years!

-he lapsed his CEN

-he lapsed his ACLS

-he is not a member of the ENA

-he is not currently in clinical practice.

Best I can tell this is an academian with a remote history of ER clinical care.

wonder when he last took the CEN exam?

wonder if he is up on current topics in ER care????

Basically it looks like a 13 semester hour (6-8months) drawn out CEN exam prep is all; but I question his background as it relates to this.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I like this post, thanks! I am a new grad....6 months in the ED. One thing I do miss about nursing school was being able to really examine cases carefully and discuss with others. I'm at a good hospital that pays very well but wonder if I should get a per diem shift at a University hospital just to be in that academic setting again.

I've also been searching for some good nursing journals in order to keep learning. At work, I keep a couple of pocket guides in close reach as well as my palm pilot that has Tabers and a Drug guide on it so in the moment I can look stuff up not only for my knowledge but for pt safety and to be able to educate them.

My hospital offers free classes every now and then for the ED nurses. I try to take advantage of, such as 12 lead EKG courses and mock code classes. If your hospital doesn't offer them I wonder if you can crash other educational classes at other hospitals. You can try calling the education dept. If you have a union they might have some advice on where to find on going classes

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Specializes in ED staff.

I've been in the ED for a long time and sometimes think that I need some sorta refresher course because something will come up that I can't think of the immediate answer to and I'll think to myself "I know this" The answer to said question will usually come a few days later. If you're in a level 3 ER and you've been there for a couple of years I bet you know more than you think you know. I think that you probably realize that nursing school probably doesn't have much to do with what you do now. Care plans don't make sense in the ER. I can't think of a nursing diagnosis I've actually used in the past 20 years. If you would feel better with more education then go for it. Whatever gives you more self confidence. Talk to your supervisor and see what he/she thinks.

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Specializes in Emergency.

so i have been asking around at work about this. here are some resources that might be helpful

i’ve heard good things about the wilderness medicine conferences

http://www.wilderness-medicine.com

ena has some online courses as well as annual conferences

www.ena.org

ceu’s on a cruise ship

i don’t know anything about this but came across it while searching for educational resources

http://www.continuingeducation.net/schedule.php

conferences through ucsd. (i am in san diego, a lot of these are in sd but there are other locations too)

http://cme.ucsd.edu/events.cfm?cat_id=1

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